Former Auburn star Wes Flanigan lands first head coaching job

Former Auburn player Wes Flanigan was promoted to head men's basketball coach at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Thursday morning.

It is the first head coaching position for Flanigan, who served as UALR's associate head coach this season. He succeeds Chris Beard, who was hired at UNLV Monday.

"As someone who was born and raised in Little Rock, this is a dream come true," Flanigan said, according to a news release. "I want to thank Chasse Conque and Chancellor Joel Anderson for this opportunity. I also want to thank my family for their love and support. But none of this happens without the student-athletes on our team. We asked each of them to sacrifice, and they bought in, worked hard, were unselfish, and through that we have established a culture. The next step for us is determining how far we can go as a team. For all the success we had last season, together we all can help Little Rock take the next step."

Flanigan, a Little Rock native, previously served as an assistant at Mississippi State, Nebraska, UAB and at UALR from 2004-2008.

During his playing career Flanigan averaged 10.1 points and 4.8 assists as an Auburn point guard from 1994 to 1997. He was named to the All-SEC Team as a junior and his 573 assists rank second all-time in program history. Prior to his senior season Flanigan had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor on his left arm.

"I think Little Rock has gotten a gem," said Coastal Carolina head coach Cliff Ellis, Flanigan's head coach at Auburn. "This guy knows the game and understands the game. It's been bred into him by his family. He understands the state of Arkansas and is constantly studying the game. He's got it all - he understands the game, is a great recruiter and understands all the parts of the job that come with it."

The Trojans (30-5) won their first outright Sun Belt Championship this season. They made some noise in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 12 seed by upsetting fifth-seeded Purdue in double overtime before falling to Iowa State in the second round.